Meeting In Between The Stars
by Angel From Above Is Here
Summary: These are snapshots in the shared life of River and the Doctor. What could have happened if things had gone just a little bit differently? What would their lives look like then? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first ever Doctor Who story. I hope you guys will like it! But even if you don't, let me know why. That way, I can improve the story and my writing.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. But I sure wish I did…  
**

**Chapter One**

_When the rain is blowing in your face,  
and the whole world is on your case  
I could offer you a warm embrace  
to make you feel my love._

The Doctor is at his wits end and River knows it. He's pacing back and forth in the rain, his hair is sticking to his head and his face is red from the cold. That also has to do with the fact he gave her his jacket when the TARDIS landed them here instead of going where he'd intended, a tiny tropical island. River had a dig there and he had offered her a lift.

And his nervousness has to do with the fact the TARDIS is hundreds of miles away and they've been attacked by Weeping Angels. They'd only managed to escape by the skin of their teeth by using all of their intelligence to divert attention and steel a small plane. But having had to leave the TARDIS was making them both just a little bit scared.

"I thought we'd destroyed that lot when that ship crashed and Octavian, his Clerics and us went after what we believed was one Angel. And now we've got this lot on our backs! They could be so close to us by now, there's no knowing how fast they are," he says to himself, seemingly not aware River is still there.

She decided he's ignored her long enough. She can help, if he'll only let her. She clears her throat, which finally gets his attention.

"They're fast, we know that. But they can't keep moving at such a high speed or they'll have used all of their energy by the time they get to us. They won't be able to transport us in time or even kill us then. We're both looking at all sides, we'll hear and see them when they get here. But I think we shouldn't wait for them," she tells him.

His curiosity seems to be peaked. Despite his continuously looking around, he nods for her to keep talking. So she does, even as she spins around and keeps her ears tuned to the sounds around her.

"I suggest we take the plane. We could use it to do some reconnaissance of the island, discover where they're at and what the best place is to hole up. Maybe we'll even get an idea to destroy those creatures once and for all or perhaps we'll get back to the TARDIS and she'll take us out somehow," River says.

The Doctor ponder what she's just said for a moment. The silence is in no way comforting, but hearing the creaking of branches would mean the Angels are close and that would be even worse. This situation really gives new meaning to the adage to choose the lesser of two evils.

"The plane has just enough fuel left for a tour around the island. We had better either find something the first time around or make it to the TARDIS without running into any Angels, because else, flying that plane until we run out of fuel will be our only option," the Doctor finally says.

"I know that. But if we stay here, we'll be dead within the next two days. I didn't think you'd prefer that over trying to find a way out, however difficult it might be," she replies.

She knows she's needling, but she also knows it'll be worth it. The Doctor is very intelligent and he only needs to be pressured slightly in order to find what they need in that great brain of his.

"Of course I want to make it out, and of course I want to rid the world of these Weeping Angels. And unless we can destroy a couple of them, the TARDIS won't let us leave. So get your ass into that plane, professor River Song," the Doctor orders her.

"When you're a little older you'll like my ass. Oops, spoilers," she sweetly smiles as she makes her way to the plane without taking her eyes off of her surroundings. No need to take risks, after all. But even in a situation like this, soaked and surrounded by deadly creatures, the flirting makes her feel much more like her ordinary self.

The Doctor also boards and starts the plane, leaving it to River to assure their enemies are not there yet to stop them. Despite not having seen much of each other yet, the always present bond of trust seems to have survived one more regeneration.

"Who says I don't like it now already? Don't think you know everything just because you're from my future," he admonishes her, giving her a stern look as they get ready to take off.

It's one of the only things he knows by now, apart from the fact that she's a good fighter and a walking mystery. And River loves to tease him with that, loves to see his face when she once again says spoilers. It's hilarious to see him role his eyes, even if she wishes she could simply tell him everything.

Finally, they're in the air. For the first time in more than six hours, River finally feels safe. One thing the Angels can't do is fly. Now, she can focus on defending the Doctor and herself and destroying these creatures. Because he's right, the TARDIS brought them here to rid the world of them and she won't take them home if they don't at least give it all they've got.

The both of them scan the surroundings carefully, she to the left and he to the right. Time passes antagonisingly slowly, and River's acutely aware they don't have even a minute to spare. But she holds on to her believe they'll make it. As long as she has the Doctor, she knows she will.

"Hey, look at that. Over there, behind that large group of trees on my side here. What do you think that is?" the Doctor suddenly asks.

River looks in the aforementioned direction. The world seems to be missing a very large chunk there, and there are multiple hills next to the large hole. Judging from the size, colour and depth, it can only be one thing.

"That would be a quarry. Whoever lived here before the Angels came must have taken stones from it to build houses and other structures. It's a very large one too, easily two times the size if the larges one you'd ever see on earth," she says.

As an archaeologist, she has done air reconnaissance of large areas before, and her journeys with the Doctor have also lead her to a plane more than once. So she can judge the size of that thing a little more easily than most. Luckily, the Doctor doesn't question her accuracy on the matter.

"Hmm, how many of the Angels could we get in there if we tried our very best?" the Doctor wonders aloud.

"I think we could fit quite a few in there. It's wide and deep. But I suppose it also depends on the plan you're hatching for a big part," River answers his questions.

The Doctor doesn't answer straight away. Instead, he steers them towards the foot of one of the hills next to the quarry. It's not the easiest place to land, but it's possible to land the plane there and it's the closest they can get.

The Doctor immediately bends down and scans the soil with his sonic screwdriver. He looks at the results without sharing them with her, but River doesn't care. He'll tell her what she needs to know when the time is there. She keeps twisting around on the spot and gathers as much information as possible herself whilst doing that.

She hears the Doctor mumble to himself and she hears him push or kick some of the smaller rocks. Almost subconsciously, River takes her gun out of her waistband and readies it. Here, much closer to where they last saw the Angels, she feels acutely aware they could be here at any second.

"Alright, River. We're going to lure the Angels into this quarry and we're going to bring these mountains down upon them. How does that sound," the Doctor asks, a wicked glint in his eyes and a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

She gives him one her most seductive smiles before looking in the other direction again. She has an idea or two about how to do this, but she can only hope he'll let her have her way. The man is very protective of those around him.

"It sounds good. I say we prepare for their arrival, I sonic you while you let them know we're here and then I lure them into the trap. You're more important to the world than I am, and I'm sure you'll manage to save me," she sweetly says.

Another spin in his direction shows him rolling his eyes, which makes her laugh. That ears her a raised eyebrow, which really doesn't help. But the Doctor fortunately doesn't complain about her suggested approach. He probably either realises she has a point or doesn't want to waste time arguing.

"Now all we have to decide, is how to bring these mountains down upon the Angels. Preferably very fast, too. And we'll have to make sure we can get both of our pretty faces out of here the very second those come crashing down, we won't be able to keep them paralysed forever," he says.

River begins to rummage through her pockets. The dress she's wearing has so many of them it takes her longer than she would have liked. In the end, she comes across strings of rope, pens, pieces of paper and a lighter. She can't remember where she picked that things up, but she's glad it's there.

"How about we rig up some kind of detonation mechanism for all the mountains? We could use some of the airplane's fuel, my lighter, the strings I have and your sonic, something else, I don't know. If we can bring down all the mountains at the same time, we won't have to keep the Angels paralysed for a long time. And gravity will make sure the rocks that come down will end up where we need them to, as well as ensure the Angels won't have a choice but run in the opposite direction of us," River says.

"I can detonate any kind of mechanism with the sonic, all we need is some sort of container for the fuel and the right place to put the stuff. Can we find that here?" the Doctor wants to know.

River continues to scan the environment, and doubts they can. There's broken branches and leaves, plants and other sorts of vegetation she can't name. But there's nothing that looks even remotely like a box or basket that will hold a liquid.

"I think I have something to work with. If you could just grab a few oxygen tanks and some tanks of whatever else that's combustible from the plane and put them where I tell you to, that would be great. I'll intensify the blast with the fuel by using the sonic. Because lighting the fuel would only give us a good fire," the Doctor says.

River knows he can do that, and it's the exact thing she was referring to before. Apparently, he didn't notice that and thought she was planning on simply lighting the fuel. Oh well, it could have been worse. So she simply ignores that.

Instead of speaking, she makes a run for the plane. Her wild curly hair bounces around her face, so she pushes is back. Somewhere in her other pockets is probably a hair pin or elastic band, but she's no desire to look for it.

She'll be needing four of those tanks of oxygen and four doses of other flammable stuff. She carries two of the tanks out the first time and installs them according to the Doctor's instructions. Then, she returns and places the other two in their appropriate position.

Her next great discovery are six large tanks filled with stable yet combustible gas. They can be made to explode, but can also be transported through the air without the risk of them combusting of their own accord. She drags them out one by one and places them next to the oxygen tanks. Then, she uses some kind if vine to ty both tanks together.

"Alright, we need to add the fuel now. In the plane, there have to be containers for the food for the travellers. Go looking for those. And hurry, I have the nagging feeling the Angels are closer than we'd like already," the Doctor warns her.

River's arms and legs are mighty sore from hoisting around those heavy containers and making multiple runs to and from the plane as well as all the walking they've been doing for the past nine hours. But she soldiers on, hurrying to the plane to find what they need.

She uses a hose and fills the necessary pots. They won't need much, just enough for the Doctor to be able to intensify the blast so a large section of each mountain will come down. She then places those on top if the two tanks she's put together on each of the mountains. Her heart's really beginning to race; they can't make mistakes.

The Doctor now takes her hand and softly pushes her in the direction of a platform. It'll be a bit of a walk, but they'll be behind the mountains. They'll hear and see the Angels and with the help of the sonic they'll be able to make the Angels feel they're being watched when they want them to stop.

Dragging their feet, they push past bushes and trees until they reach a winding road upward. When she sneaks a peak from the corner of her eye, River can see the Doctor isn't any happier about the upcoming climb than she is. But neither one of them says it. It needs to be done and they're the only ones who can do it.

Eventually, after one last turn, they're on top of the plateau. Immediately, the sound of the Doctor activating the sonic penetrates the silence. She takes his hand and squeezes it, letting him know she's ready. He squeezes back and brings the sonic up to his mouth.

"Hello, Angels. I know you've been looking for us. Well, search no more. Come to the quarry at the south side of the island. We'll be waiting there. Don't leave us hanging," he says, keeping his voice level and strong despite the stress she knows he's feeling.

He doesn't let go of her hand as she was expecting. He keeps holding on as he has his eyes trained on the quarry. She steps a little closer to him, enjoying and taking comfort from the fact he's not pulling away. It's only the second time they've seen each other since his last regeneration and he's not usually this close to her at such an early stage.

"How far do you think we should let them come into the quarry?" he suddenly wants to know. A small tremor courses through him as he asks, and she can feel the goose bumps rise on her own skin as well.

"I think three quarters of the way in is the furthest we can go. There'll be a hell of a lot of Angels in there that way and there's enough space between them and us as well that way. And if we're lucky, we'll be able to make it to the plane to get back to the TARDIS because they'll all be crushed to pieces. Or at least I hope they'll be crushed," she adds under her breath.

But the Doctor hears those words anyway. He links their fingers together when she says them, and River is every so grateful for that. She feels stronger and more connected to him than ever when he does that.

"I hope so too. I've absolutely no idea what the best way is to kill them… But I'm confident they'll at least be incapacitated for a while. There isn't enough energy to restore them, so the ones we crush could be rendered entirely harmless because they can't fix themselves. And don't worry about escaping. I'm sure we will, just have faith," he says.

And for some reason, she feels herself calm down a little bit. She trusts this man with her life and the lives of all those that she loves, she's never doubted him before. She won't start doing that now.

Soon, the sounds coming from the distance tell them the Angels are there. Silently, they watch them appear from between the trees and enter the quarry. To River, it looks like they're confused when they don't immediately see their intended victims. But they keep advancing anyway.

"Now," River says when the Angels have reach the ending point.

And the Doctor presses a button on his sonic. The effect is instantaneous and huge. With a deafening sound, enormous boulders start rolling down the mountains. The mountains seem to shrink as that goes on, and River and the Doctor watch as the Angels are surprised. The Doctor now presses another button, and a large number of the Angels present freezes.

Slowly, the sounds die away. All that remains is a vast cloud of dust, which she hopes also contains tiny particles of the Angels they've just tried to destroy. But waiting to find out is not an option.

The TARDIS seems to agree, because out of the blue she turns up behind them. The Doctor pulls River towards it, but she needs no encouragement. She wants to leave as soon as possible.

With the click of the doors, their ordeal is finally over. They're away from an island full of creatures that tried to kill them, they're out of the rain. The Doctor rushes to take them somewhere else, preferably her home this time.

"Doctor? Thank you. You saved my life out there," she says.

And she hugs the Doctor, despite the both of them being wet and chilly. She puts her arms around him and rests her forehead against his clavicle. For a second, the Doctor seems unsure of what to do, but then he hugs her back.

"And I'd save you again tomorrow if need be, River," he promises her, the words whispered in her ear so softly she isn't even sure she was meant to hear them in the first place. But she has heard them, and she will always remember them.

For a few minutes, they stay like that. River clings to the Doctor and The Doctor clings to her. And in that moment, she feels the first seeds of the love they've shared before begin to grow.

So she vows to nurture them as always. Because this man is worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is the second chapter! I promise I'll try to keep posting every week. The story's finished, so it shouldn't be all that hard. Please keep me up to date as to whether or not you like the story, and tell me why! Reviews may be rewarded with cookies.**

**Disclaimer: The song used in the story isn't mine. It's Adele's version of To Make You Feel My love. I own nothing.**

**Chapter Two**

_When the evening shadows and the stars appear  
and there is no one there to dry your tears  
I could hold you for a million years  
To make you feel my love_

River has seen many things in her life. She has seen the rise and fall of civilizations, of entire planets. She has witnessed great betrayals and great acts of selflessness. Considering she's a time traveller, that isn't very surprising. But right now, she is seeing something she never thought she'd ever witness.

The Doctor is crying. In his arms is the body of a child, barely three years old. When the TARDIS brought them here, all of them knew there was trouble to be had; hundreds of people were on the streets, crying because so many of their family members were dying from some illness that has never swept the land before.

They set to work straight away, collecting samples of the soil, the water, the people's blood and food. For a week, they all ran themselves ragged. But no one more than the Doctor.

And then, on the seventh day, the Doctor discovered the truth. The illness was airborne and killed by causing multi-organ failure. The TARDIS provided him with some ingredients to create a vaccine or a cure.

A month passed, in which Rory and the Doctor worked endlessly on a way to protect or cure the people as River and Amy tended to as many if the ones affected. But until the day the Doctor created the vaccine and spread it through the air using some alien form of technology he'd been gifted, the illness claimed lives. And now, the morning after, it is still doing that.

The child in the Doctor's arms is the last victim of the illness in the region where they are, the last one the Doctor couldn't safe. Caleb fought so hard and for a second it seemed he'd make a miraculous recovery. But he'd passed away in the Doctor's arms two hours before.

Caleb's parents died of the dreaded illness weeks before, and no one wanted to take him in for fear they'd contract it as well. So River had suggested the Doctor and she stay with the child at his house.

River remembers every moment of it very clearly, the fatherly side of the Doctor and his supporting words to Caleb in the dark of night. She will also never forget how often he would have nightmares about the losses he's already suffered while taking care of Caleb.

"We need to bury him properly, River. He deserves that, and we're the only ones who'll do it. The villagers are too afraid to even touch him," the Doctor says, the anger at the local inhabitants barely hidden.

"We will bury him. But no doubt you already knew I would say that. I bet you even have a place selected to put this brave little boy to rest," she replies.

The Doctor nods. He cradles the child close to his chest with one arm and takes River's right hand in his free one. After only a few metres, he turns a corner. They leave the beaten track almost straight after and River isn't sure what's happening. A few more turns follow, but the journey doesn't last long. Ten minutes later, he announces they're there. River's first reaction is astonishment.

"This is beautiful," she whispers, linking their fingers together and squeezing softly.

The evening sun gently illuminates one of the most idyllic places she has ever seen. Three trees are standing close together, their trunks covered with what looks like green vines bearing small golden flowers. Red flowers similar to roses and tulips on earth are growing around the trees as well.

"He said his mother loved those flowers, and that he liked to climb trees and build camps. I don't know whether he ever discovered this place, but I think he did. And I'd like to think he will be happy resting there," the Doctor says almost inaudibly.

There are still tears falling from his eyes. River wishes she could simply let the salty drops run down her cheeks as well, but she has to be strong now; the Doctor needs her to be. So she swallows the grief and pretends that she's fine.

"I'll go get Rory and Amy. I promise I won't be long," she says and ignored the stabbing pain in her heart that leaving him causes as she turns around.

She's fortunate to have such a great memory, because she makes her way to the TARDIS and back with Amy and Rory in under half an hour. When they arrive, the Doctor is sitting on the grass with Caleb in his arms.

Instinctively, River knows what the Doctor needs. After all, he is the love of her life and has no secrets for her, at least not when it counts. So she opens her special backpack and extracts three small shovels she uses for her archaeological digs. She hands one to Amy and Rory and sinks to her knees, beginning to scoop away the earth. Amy raises and eyebrow at her and then turns to the Doctor.

"Won't you be digging with us, Doctor? You could put him down on our jackets so he wouldn't be on the ground. He would have his grave sooner that way," Amy points out.

River rises as soon as she hears those words. Her mother should not have said those words. And indeed, when she turns around the anger is clearly visible in the Doctor's eyes. At least to her it is; she doubts the other two people present can actually see any of it.

"I will not, Amy. This child lost his parents and was deserted by everyone else he should have been able to count on. He deserved to be held by someone who loves and cares for him in life and he deserves to be held by someone who loves and cares for him in death," the Doctor says, his voice rather icy despite him not at all raising it.

River shoots Amy her darkest look, which makes the red-haired woman take a step back. She then approaches the Doctor, placing her hands over his where they are resting on Caleb's body.

"No one will make you let go of him until the grave is ready for him. I promise. Amy meant no harm, you know that, don't you?" River says, tracing her thumbs across his hands to make him feel more connected with her.

"I do know that, of course I do. I'm sorry, Pond. I overreacted. Will you forgive me?" the Doctor asks, the tension now draining from him a little bit.

"Hey, you don't even have to ask. Of course I forgive you, Raggedy Man. I know you're hurting," Amy tells him, and sets about digging the grave now that the crisis has been averted.

The sun sinks faster than any of them were expecting and great clouds come rolling in. They're grey, and soon enough the first droplets of rain start to fall. River quickly grabs a large piece of plastic from her bag and hangs it above the Doctor and Caleb to protect the small boy from the rain. The smile he gives her is so genuine that all she can do is kiss his cheek.

A good half an hour later, they're done. The grave has been dug and a stone has been found that can be made into a headstone. They have even put a pillow in the grave to rest Caleb's head on. The Doctor slowly gets up and moves closer to the other three. It's still raining and the drops make his hair stick to his head and soak his jacket. But he doesn't care.

"River, please?" is all he can muster as he stands beside the grave. And she knows what he needs: her helps to lower the child. Not because Caleb's heavy, but because when he is in that grave, Caleb's story will truly be over. And the Doctor doesn't like endings. Especially not the endings he's somehow involved in.

So she places her arms around his waist and rests her hand on his. Together, they bend down and she guides him to let go of Caleb. Amy and Rory watch, holding each other's hand to make it through this ordeal.

"Goodbye, dear child. Sweet Caleb. The world needs more courageous people, people like you. I hope you're well wherever you are and that you'll see your parents soon. You'll be missed, but I'm sure they missed you too," the Doctor says.

With mechanical moves, the grave is now filled and the stone put in place. With the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor carves a last message into the stone. It's an incomplete one and they all know it, but it's sure better than nothing.

_Caleb,_

_A well-loved and courageous child.  
May he be an example for many others._

As they make their way back to the TARDIS, River supports the Doctor. She feels him tremble. The fatigue and stress are finally catching up with him. No matter how much he might want to, he won't be up much longer.

The TARDIS comes into sight and she leads them all inside. Amy and Rory say goodnight and retire to their room. Secretly, River is glad for that. In situations like this, it's very hard to know how to behave around her parents.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. You won't do yourself or anyone else any good if you get yourself injured or ill because you won't sleep," she gently chides, pulling him along. She doubts the location of his rooms has changes, but if it has, she'll deal with it as soon as she finds out.

Luck seems to be on her side, because she gets the Doctor into his bedroom without incident. Quickly, she turns on the lights and has him sit down on the bed. His silence is worrying, but she understands it could also mean he'll be asleep as soon as she turns off the lights back off.

Soon enough, she spots a pair of pants and a t-shirt that can be used to sleep in. Without protest from the Doctor, she undoes his bow tie and unbuttons his shirt. She neatly stacks the clothes nearby.

When she turns back around, the Doctor is lying on the bed. She hesitates to get him out of his pants, as it seems like a very personal action, but she finally does it anyway. She can see he doesn't have the energy to move even a single inch.

"Am I blood-soaked, my angel?" the Doctor suddenly asks. River is taken by surprise and doesn't understand what's going on. She needs time to think, so she counters with a question of her own.

"Now, why would you ask me something like that, sweetie? And haven't I shown I'm not an angel?" she wants to know, because the use of a pet name has her intrigued. The Doctor hardly ever uses them, he calls her River or 'my wife' in the future but leaves the use of pet names to her for the most part.

The Doctor looks at her so intently she's sure he can see all of the secrets that are written on her soul. But she's unafraid; he will love her no matter which secrets he sees, because that is the kind of man he is. He understands secrets better than anyone, and he loves with a strength that is matched by no one.

"You said you were in Stormcage for killing a good man, the best man. But I've seen you with the ill and with Caleb over the past month. You may have done things you aren't proud off, you may have even killed that man, but you're still an angel. Because you still have a heart of gold. I heard you sing to Caleb those few times when you thought I was gone. I heard you tell him stories, I saw you rock him and I saw you feed him when he was losing his strength," the Doctor admits.

River is slightly shocked; she indeed did all of those things, but she didn't know there had been someone there watching her. On the other hand, if she trusts anyone not to use her softer side against her, it's the Doctor.

"And you're my angel because you've been my beacon of hope in this dark month. You were there to make sure I ate and drank, even slept an hour or two every night. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to save the ones that I did; I'd have fainted and lost days to recover, if not weeks," he finishes.

River lays down his trousers now, picking up his pyjama before settling beside him on the bed. As it dips, he unconsciously leans into her. She lets him, sliding the shirt over his head and getting him into it with great difficulty.

"Everybody needs a guardian angel, Doctor. You'll remember soon enough that you have been and will be that for me many times around. I'm just glad I could return the favour," she says, a small smile tugging at her lips.

She now has him in his pants as well, so she slides his legs into a better position to sleep and throws the blanket over him. She thinks she's escaped having to answer his questions, but he catches her hand when she makes to leave.

"So now it's your turn. Do you think I'm blood soaked?" he asks her yet again, and in his eyes she can see he really needs the answer.

When she makes to sit down again, the Doctor stops her for a second. He pushed the blanket away and gestured for her to slide beneath it. Since this can go two ways, River needs to know which of those ways it's going to be before this goes any further.

"Are you asking me to stay until the question is answered or are you inviting me to spend the night?" she boldly asks.

"The latter," is his equally bold reply.

Without another word, she spins towards the wardrobe and opens it for the second time that evening. She extracts another t-shirt, another of the few ones the Doctor owns. Then, she slides out of her dress and leggings and puts it on. She can feel his eyes on her, but it's not the first time he's seen her like this and it surely won't be the last.

She now settles beside him, and he guides her head to his shoulder. She complies, letting her hand come to rest on his chest. She can feel his hearts beat, and the sound of those two strong muscles working together helps her calm down.

Since there's no escaping it anymore, she takes one last second to find the right words to answer his question.

"No, I don't think you're blood-soaked. You've saved a great many lives, that's my first reason to say that. Another reason is that you refuse to pick up arms if it's not to protect innocent lives. And the same goes for taking lives, you only do it when there's no other choice," River says to him.

The Doctor slides his arms around her, causing her to end up completely on her side. She can feel he's insecure, and that inclination is confirmed when he speaks again.

"But what about the Daleks? I destroyed entire worlds to make sure they were all dead, obliterated, wiped from history," he says in a small voice.

"They wanted complete control over the universe, to make all other life-forms they could find into slaves for them. They didn't care about the feelings of others, because they didn't have any. If you'd let them live, they'd have destroyed the whole galaxy if they'd had the chance. You had no choice, as I pointed out," she chides him, albeit barely noticeably.

Another minute of silence falls, and a rather large part of the tension is still there, almost thick enough to slice with a knife. But she keeps her cool, difficult as it may be. And eventually, he breaks the silence.

"And what about what I did here? I came here to help and once again I couldn't save them all. Doesn't that count as being blood-soaked? Because it sure as hell feels like it does," he tells her.

She's taken aback because of his phrasing, but she ignores it. There are more important things to deal with here; the last thing the world needs is for the Doctor to start doubting himself or even fall into a depression.

"No, it doesn't. How could it when they'd all have died if you hadn't worked so hard to make a cure and vaccination for them? Their blood would have been on your hands if you'd turned your back on them. And you never do that," she says, pressing her face into his neck as she curls up to him as close as possible.

The Doctor presses a kiss to the top of her head, but she decides she won't settle for just that. Life's too short and she needs all the memories she can get. She's not sure he'll comply with her following request, but she's learnt a long time ago that taking risks is at times the only thing that works with the Doctor.

"Won't you give me a real kiss? I mean, you don't have to, of course, but…" she says, but she's cut off.

And the reason she's cut off is that the Doctor does exactly that. He presses his lips to hers in such a soft kiss that is so full of emotions that it leaves her head reeling for a whole minute after.

"That's better," she sighs contentedly as she settles back down.

But the surprises are not done for the night yet. The Doctor turn onto his side and presses into her. It's another first, and she embraces him immediately to prolong the moment. After all, the Doctor doesn't do physical signs of affection like others do. But she needn't have feared, because he stays like that the entire night.

But he does wake up from nightmares more than once, which leads her to comfort him by softly reminding his she's still there.

The next morning she's the first to wake up. Looking at his face, she sees it's relaxed and peaceful. And she realises that even though it will take time, the Doctor will once again rise on top.

And she'll be there to help him do that, she vows. Because she loves him and it's as simple as that.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone! Chapter three is here! I hope you'll enjoy it. Read and review please!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Doctor Who, I would be richer and very famous. I'm neither, because I don't own Doctor Who.**

**Chapter Three  
**  
_I know you haven't made your mind up yet  
But I would never do you wrong  
I've known it from the moment that we met  
No doubt in my mind where you belong_

The Doctor has always made a great feast of every birthday, be it his own or someone else's. And of course especially of hers. When River asked him about that a few years back, he said that everyone deserves to celebrate a day that is completely their own, to be reminded of exactly how important they are.

So far, he has made River's birthday a very special occasion every year, even if he doesn't yet remember all of the things they've done. But for this year, River's made plans of her own.

Their relationship has been gradually deepening since their first meeting, but they haven't been able to spend much time alone together. And they haven't been able to have a proper date yet. She knows he's been thinking about organising one, but he's still nervous. The fear of rejection is something she understands, she's suffered from it herself a few times. So she's decided she'll take matters into her own hands and see where they end up.

The candles on the table are lit. Soft, romantic music is playing. There's even a lovely red rose on the table. She used her lavender shampoo and soap when she bathed before, since he adores that smell on her. And she does too.

And of course, she also dressed for the occasion. Her dress is a very dark red, falling just above her knees. Her pumps are red as well, but less dark. She's wearing a long necklace with a pendant. Her hair is loose, since she doesn't like pinning it up. And she's not wearing lipstick. After all, she plans on stealing at least one kiss from him before the night ends.

It's not that she doesn't want more than kisses and cuddles, since that's all she's gotten so far, but there's no point whatsoever in rushing. Getting more acquainted with each other is a pleasant and very necessary part of their relationship, in every regeneration. Even after all this time, she still discovers more about him every time around. She wouldn't change it for the world.

She doesn't have any more time to think about that, though, because the sound of the TARDIS materialising in her garden tells her the Doctor is there. Before he's even had the time to knock, she opens the door for him.

"Well, well, someone's eager to see me," the Doctor says right before River presses herself into him. Even though it's impossible to see his face, she knows he's smiling. It's easy to hear in his voice, at least to her.

"Of course I'm eager to see you, sweetie. It's been three months since we've seen each other. Don't tell me you aren't just as happy to see me," she says, breathing in his unique scent and revelling in the fact she has him close once more.

The Doctor pushes her at arm's length, looking her straight in the eyes. He places one of his hands against the side of her face, brushing the skin with his thumb. His free hand keeps her close, resting on her lower back.

"I'm always happy to see you. I miss you when you're not with me, your smile and your crazy ideas. My life's too dull without you," he tells her, his eyes twinkling madly. And River's sure that if she looked into the mirror right now, she would find her eyes doing the same thing.

"Then I suppose it's a very good thing I miss you the second you leave as well, huh? Your clever mind that never stops turning, the way you look at things," she responds as she drags him into her house, the smile still on her face.

The Doctor sniggers lightly in reaction to her words as she leads him to the kitchen and has him sit down on one of her chairs. When she turns towards the pots and pans standing at the ready, she has to let go of his hand. But she only does that when it becomes physically impossible to hold on any longer.

"I hope you don't mind, but I still need to do the cooking. I'm making spaghetti, so it won't take long. I figured it'd be best to do it this way, we can eat it without having to reheat it," she says.

She begins to take everything she needs out of the cabinets and fridge: some butter, cubed and peeled tomatoes, another can of cubed and peeled tomatoes with bell peppers, a mix of courgettes, aubergines and some other vegetables, tomato paste and minced meat. And of course her box of pasta. It's nothing extraordinarily fancy, but it's delicious. As well as easy to make, which is also a bonus point.

"You remembered that spaghetti is my favourite food," he says while she's busy doing that. The surprise is dripping from his every word, making it her turn to laugh out loud.

"I'm your girlfriend, your partner. It's my job to remember all those little things about you," she tells him as she grabs the last ingredients and places them beside the two pots she'll be needing to prepare their meal.

For a second, the Doctor sits unmoving and unspeaking on his chair. He's watching her, she's well aware of that. When he eventually speaks, he manages to surprise her.

"Do you think I could help you cook? I haven't done a lot of cooking, and I've never made spaghetti before," he admits.

She turns around and takes his hand in hers again, pulling him up and close to her. She manoeuvres them so he ends up in front of the cabinets with her behind him, the ingredients only half an inch away from him.

"I would love for you to help me cook. Could you gab the butter and put a chunk of it in this pot right here?" she asks him, indicating the one she means.

While he does that, she opens the cans she's just taken out of the cabinets. She also opens the package of minced meat. When she's done with that, she turns on the gas for him so the butter can melt.

She also fills her pot with water and gets that ready to boil. She adds two stock cubes to the water to add some more flavour to the pasta later. While the water heats and the cubes melt, she focusses on him.

"Now, put the minced meat into the pot and stir. I'll fill a cup with water, because we'll be adding some later to make sure the meat doesn't burn," she explains.

It's a pleasant sight, seeing him casually stir in the pot. She thinks she could get used to seeing him do that every day. He looks so at home and utterly relaxed that it nearly takes her breath away. She quickly adds a bit of the water and places the rest within reach in case they need more.

"And what do I do now?" the Doctor asks, the glee of doing this making his entire face light up.

"You add the content of the cans. As soon as you do that, this stuff is going to look like a sauce. When the whole mixture has been heated, you can take it off, because the sauce is ready then," she says.

She now places the pasta in the boiling water. Another ten minutes or so and their dinner will be ready. That's why she chooses these very thin strings of spaghetti, it's so much faster that way.

"Your sauce should be ready to eat now. You can place it on the table. And when you're done, could you take the graded cheese from the fridge and put it here as well?" River asks when her pasta's almost ready.

"Consider it done," the Doctor says and sets about it straight away.

Another minute and two steaming hot plates are standing on the table and they're ready to start eating. It's about time too, River's stomach is starting to grumble a little bit . It's past seven by now, after all.

"This is the best spaghetti I've ever had, it tastes amazing!" the Doctor says in between two great mouthfuls. Apparently, she wasn't the only one in need of some food.

"Every dish tastes ten times better if you've made it yourself. I learnt that when I started doing my own cooking," River laughs, remembering the disastrous cooking experiments and the things she thought tasted excellent in those days. Fortunately, she's grown into a very decent cook.

"I beg to differ. I think it tastes this good because we cooked it together," he says, reaching across the table. At the same moment their hands touch, she lifts herself out of her chair and walks over to his side.

She kisses him, pouring all of the love she feels for him in that single action. His hands come to rest on her hips instantaneously, showing her how much more comfortable he is around her by now. She feels him turn and the next thing she knows, she's sitting on his lap while he kisses her.

"I've been willing to do that since I got here," the Doctor admits when they finally pull apart to breathe. He holds her like she's a porcelain doll, and for once in her life River doesn't have a problem with that.

"You can kiss me whenever and however you like, you won't get any complains," she whispers, her eyes fluttering open again at last.

Unwillingly, she moves back to her own seat so they can finish eating. There will be time enough to cuddle and kiss later, the Doctor won't be in a hurry to leave. Since she was released from Stormcage Containment Facility a few weeks back, there's no reason he can't stay as long as he likes. She doesn't have to be in her cell on time anymore.

River tells the Doctor to leave the dishes, saying she'll do them the next day. Even though things have changed, she still feels like she'd be wasting valuable time by doing that instead of focussing on him.

So she drags the Doctor over to the couch, where she pushes him into the pillows before getting comfortable herself. She kicks off her pumps and rests her head on his shoulder, turning on the television.

"I think you should find a good vie to watch while I go get the dessert I promised you and something else," the Doctor says, and she can hear he's slightly sorry for having to get up again.

But River thinks dessert and another surprise are a very good idea, so she pulls away and lets him leave to collect those items. When she hears him go all the way to the TARDIS to get them, she is very intrigued, as it means the Doctor really didn't want her to see what he'd brought before he deemed the time to be right.

Flicking through the channels, River quickly spots a film that isn't all too cheesy and has some good actors in it. She's no idea how much of it has passed already, but as it's now nearing nine in the evening, she doubts they'll be up for more than an hour; though he hides it well, she's seen that the Doctor is tired. And she could do with a little rest herself, truth be told.

She turns off the overhead lights and turns on the smaller ones standing beside the couch. It creates a more romantic setting, just as the candles did before. And so far, the romantic setting has had the desired effect. She hopes it'll continue for a while longer and that the night will end with the Doctor sleeping beside her.

Just when she sits down, her partner returns. He's carrying a small plate covered with a towel to hide what's on it and a small present. The latter is pressed between his arm and his chest, telling her it's not fragile at all. Else, he'd be taking more care not to let it fall.

"The present's for later, my sweetheart. You're such a nosy Rosy, aren't you? But anyways. First, you have to eat your desert. And yes, I did bake it myself," he admits.

River feels a little bit caught for staring at the present, but his last sentence overrides that feeling. She carefully takes the plate and removes the towel to reveal two small cakes. They look like cupcakes with a personal twist, and not just because their names have been written on them and there is a heart on one of them. It's in a shape, the size and everything else.

"Ow, sweetie… You shouldn't have put so much work in this. I'd have been happy with a simple card or even a hug as long as you were with me," she tells him while she bestows a hug upon him.

"I know you would've been happy with just about anything. This wasn't any work at all, but even if it was, you deserve something special every once in a while. I like showing you that you're the most amazing person in the world," the Doctor says.

River doesn't think there's much more to add to that, so she lifts the cupcake with the heart on it to her mouth. There's strawberry jam and chocolate chunks in there, and a hint of vanilla. It's heavenly, and she hums in pleasure.

Unexpectedly, the Doctor turns her head towards him. He traces her bottom lip with his finger, making her breath hitch just a tiny bit.

"I know something that tastes even better than that cupcake. Do you want to know what it is?" the Doctor whispers into her eat, keeping his finger moving and pulling her so close against him that she's very aware of the heat he's radiating. She knows he's not ready for more than what they've already done, but this shows her he's getting there.

"Yes," is the only word that tumbles from her mouth. Her mind is too full of the Doctor to string together an entire sentence. It used to scare her, the effect he has on her. Now, she's accepted it and understands it better than when she first met him.

The Doctor's hands wander from her shoulders down her arms to her hands, coming to rest either side of her legs.

"You," he says, and that single words holds such power that she now realises why this man is considered by some to be the most dangerous person to have ever lived. Because he could make her or break her by only saying that word again.

He now lifts his right hand to her ribs and brings his lips to hers. The kiss starts out much like the ones they've shared so far, but it doesn't stay quite as innocent as the past ones. Because tentatively, the Doctor touches his tongue to her lower lip. Undoubting, she parts her lips and lets him set the pace.

"Hmm, I almost forgot what doing that was like. The memories have nothing on the real deal," the Doctor whispers against her lips when they break the kiss.

River doesn't speak. She really has no words for the gift of today, so she simply buries her face in his neck and holds on tight. The Doctor seems to understand what she's trying to convey, and it looks like he's trying to tell her the same thing. Finally, she finds her voice again.

"I love you," she tells him. She's said it before, but only two times. She's grown more patient and careful throughout the years; these words are the most powerful and the Doctor needs time to get ready to hear them.

The Doctor isn't done surprising her, though, because he also has something to say. Something wonderful and unexpected, and that brings tears of happiness to her eyes.

"I love you, too. I know I don't say it enough, but I really do. I love you," he repeats. The words she's been waiting to hear for months are being spoken now, and she can barely prevent the tears from falling even as she smiles so very broadly.

The Doctor now pulls her out of the couch and picks up the present. He then leads her into the hallway and up the stairs. With a small push in the right direction from her, the Doctor manages to get them to her bedroom.

"Why don't you get in your pyjamas and I do the same? After that, I'll give you your present," he promises.

River agrees. She opens her wardrobe and pulls out a night dress. It's not the most sexy thing she owns, but it's the most comfortable. Before she slips into it, she tosses the Doctor the one pair of nightwear he has at her place. She can hear him put it on as she pulls the dress over her head.

Ten minutes later, they're installed in the bed. River's on the right side and the Doctor on the left, where the door is. He's trying to protect her in her own home, and she silently thanks him for it even if it's not necessary.

He now watches as she unpacks her gift. Meticulously, she unties the bow on top and removes the small pieces of tape. She never got present while under Madam Kovarian's control, so she immensely enjoys them now. And she doesn't get them all that often.

Underneath the paper is a small wooden box. It has a silver lock and there is a key on top of it. Using it, she opens the lock and lifts the lid.

"Oh my lord… This is gorgeous," she whispers.

Inside the bow is a necklace. It's a silver chain with a pendant in the exact colour of her eyes. The pendant has an inscription on the back in a language she recognises but can't yet read; it's been a long time since she's been in the TARDIS and she fears the translation matrix won't kick in this tile.

"It's Gallifreyan. It says 'For my true love. I love you now and will love you for the rest of time'," the Doctor tells her.

River hands the necklace to him and turns a little so he can put it on her. With slow, deliberate moves, the Doctor does just that, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.

"Thank you," she says as the Doctor guides her down onto the bed.

As soon as her head touches the pillow, it gets hard to keep her eyes open. So she closes them and presses into the Doctor, letting her breathing slow down an gradually settling in for the night.

"Will you be here in the morning? Will you still be holding me when I wake up?" she asks, her voice betraying just how drowsy she is.

"Yes, I'll still be holding you when you wake up. That's a promise," he whispers into her ear, tightening his grip on her to make sure she knows he isn't joking at all.

And that's all it takes for River to fall into an undisturbed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: It's taken me a while to start updating. I lost the story, so none of it is the same anymore. But here we finally are, chapter four! I hope you'll enjoy it! Read and review, please.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. I wish I did, though.**

**Chapter four  
**  
_I'd go hungry,  
I'd go black and blue.  
I'd go crawling down the avenue.  
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do  
To make you feel my love._

When River slowly opens her eyes, the room is as dark as it's been for the past three weeks. The voice of one of her captors penetrates the fog inside her mind, forcing her to wake up properly. She can't break, no matter what they do to her.

"I think it's time to bring the lady down once more. Perhaps she'll be more inclined to talk to us this time," one of the creatures says. It's as slimy as a snail and covered in what looks like scales. From feeling them, though, River knows their skin is harder than any scales could ever be.

As the words sink in, River's muscles tense. She knows how she'll be brought down from where's she's hanging. And she's well aware it won't do her injuries any good. She'll also be sporting more injuries when she's hoisted back up.

If she ever is hoisted back up, that is. Because she's very week after three weeks of torture. She hasn't been fed a proper meal in that entire time, just enough to keep her alive. And the same goes for the liquids. They've also been trying to get her mad by keeping the room dark and silent, which has completely destroyed her sense of time.

There isn't any more time to think about that, as she hears the rattling of the chains keeping her feet of the floor. She feels herself begin to fall. Less than a second later, she is screaming so loudly her voice keeps bouncing off the walls for quite a while after she's closed her mouth. She's on the floor now, and her knee's bleeding where it's resting on the floor.

Her shoulders got dislocated a little over a week ago, and they've taken her down in this rough way more than once since then. By now, they've been abused so badly that she's unsure they'll ever be back to normal.

But that isn't the only injury she has. She has a long cut beside her spinal cord that's still bleeding. There are three deep stab wounds in her lower abdomen, which have been roughly stitched up to keep her alive. Her left wrist is broken and her right elbow is useless. The fingers on her right hand are broken and two are dislocated as well. One of her ankles is sprained and both the tibia and the fibula in her right leg are so painful she suspects she has at least a hairline fracture in both.

River desperately tries to get her breathing under control. If she starts to hyperventilate, this session will end in an even worse way. In fact, it could very well kill her. They've been questioning her about the Doctor from the second they brought her in here, and she hasn't told them anything yet. They're starting to lose their patience. If they decide she's more trouble than she's worth, they'll kill her. She knows this, and she also knows it won't be long before they reach that point.

"Hello, professor Song. Are you willing to cooperate today?" the leader asks. She thinks it's a male, but she isn't sure. His voice is sickly sweet and very soft, trying to lure her in.

"Go to hell. I'm not telling you anything," she says, making her voice sound as cold and strong as possible. She's using the fact these creatures are only used to each other's voices to make them believe she's stronger than she really is. Any success is good, at this point in time.

From somewhere in the back, a sound reaches her ears. Some of the Elea, the creatures that are holding her, begin to move. Within half a minute, the leader is holding something that looks like a small tube. River's never seen it before, and her heart starts to pound. They've found something new to torture her with.

"We shall not be going to the place you call hell. We shall ask you question until you answer us, willingly or unwillingly," the leader says.

And then, he presses the small tube against her arm. Now she knows what it does even if she doesn't know the name of the contraption. It burns. When the tube is pulled away, there is a blister forming already, telling her that it's much hotter than she first thought and that the heat penetrates the skin deeper, better and more locally than any heat source on earth.

Her head is swimming again. It's nothing compared to what she's been too, but her body is sensitive and she's tired. It takes all of the strength she has left not to hang her head and faint. But she pushes through. She knows the Doctor and her parents are looking for her, and she's determined to see them again.

"What's the Doctor's greatest weakness?" the leader of the Elea asks. The authority he holds in his civilisation drips from every word as his black, beady eyes bore into her green ones.

She presses her lips together and bites her tongue to ensure her own silence. She knows the answer to this question, it's the easiest one they could've possibly asked. The Doctor's greatest weakness are his large hearts. He cares about everyone, wants to protect everyone. And that can bring him down when he fails to keep everyone safe.

River cries silently when the tube again is pushes against her skin, this time against her back. One of the Elea is holding up her shirt while the leader hurts her. He creates a circle of burns, uttering a soft mumbling sound with every press of his hand.

"What is the Doctor's greatest strength? Tell us, professor Song, and we shall no longer hurt you," the leader whispers in her ear. The scent of mud and rotting plants wafts off of him, making River gag.

She loses control of her stomach, throwing up the very little food she's been given so far. She's trembling from the cold and she's just lost precious calories. The world around her is spinning so badly she thinks she might vomit once more.

Eventually, everything stands still again. She don't know how much time has passed, but her stomach feels more normal and she's not as dizzy anymore. She lifts her head again and stares at the Elea with as much hatred and contempt in her eyes as she can manage. They probably won't understand or recognise the feelings she's conveying, but it makes her feel better and more powerful.

What also makes her more powerful it that they've again asked her a question she knows the answer to. The Doctor has two great strengths, namely his believe in love and his power to forgive those who've wronged him if they show they deserve it. Those two things make him the best man who's ever walked the earth.

"Well then. Before we resort to less than friendly measures once more to make you speak, we shall ask you one last question. What is the Doctor's name?" the Elea's leader demands to know.

This time, she refuses to even think about the answer to that question. Obviously she knows it, as she's the Doctor's wife. But in this weakened state, she fears these creatures might penetrate her mind if they would want that; she hasn't met them before and she's no idea what kind of technology they possess. With the other answers they could cause harm, but they wouldn't be able to kill the Doctor or destroy the universe. His name could do just that.

Her train of thoughts is interrupted when she's slapped across the face. Judging by the sting in her nose and the blood trickling from her lip, the first is broken and the second is split. The pain makes her gasp a little.

But they don't stop there. The Elea work together to add to her collection of cuts and bruises, push and prod the ones she already has and push her into a great pool of darkness she's not sure she'll ever escape from.

After a while, five minutes or maybe fifty, she can't tell, she begins to lose the fight. Her eyes fall close and she's struggling to breathe. The Elea keep going, speaking once in a while as if they're trying to keep her conscious.

Suddenly, however, there's a sound that overpowers their voices. And it's a sound she knows so well she feels tears begin to fall down her cheeks, tears of happiness this time. It's the TARDIS materialising.

The Doctor doesn't like to use weapons, but her father is of a different opinion. Rory lashes out at every creature within reach, not afraid to use his sword when they refuse to back off when he swings a fist in their direction. The rage that comes off of the man and even of the usually so calm Amy makes the creatures scatter. But only two things matter to River, that her parents are fine and that the Doctor is there.

She's absolutely not surprised to find the Doctor is the first to appear by her side. Her parents love her and she loves them, but the Doctor loves her in a completely different way. She's his life, he's even said that to her once. Her parents would do anything to save her, but they haven't been around each other enough to be a true family.

"Amy, get the door!" the Doctor screams as soon as the Elea aren't anywhere in sight anymore. River pulls a face at that sound because it makes her head pound even more.

"I'm so glad you made it," River says, her voice so fragile and soft she almost doesn't recognise it. It earns her a very worried look from her husband, who softly wiped the tears from her face.

The TARDIS door clicks open and the Doctor lifts a hand to untie the ropes keeping her up. He slings his other arm around her, probably aware she won't stay upright without support. Less than a second later, Rory is there as well, and he places his hands over her hips to keep her straight as well.

"Alright, here we go. Rory, stand behind her to make sure you have a hold on her," the Doctor orders.

With one last pull, River finds herself leaning against her father. But not for long, because the Doctor immediately takes her into his arms and carries her towards the TARDIS. it hurts, but she doesn't have the strength to walk and the Doctor is being very careful with her.

Amy opens the door to the infirmary, and the Doctor places River on the first bed. Straight away, he begins to unbutton her shirt to investigate the damage. As he does that, he keeps River's parents busy.

"Rory, you're a nurse. Grab me something to disinfect and dress these wounds. Take out a suture kit as well, judging by the blood I think we'll need it. Amy, fetch some towels and some water to give River a wash. We need to clear away all of the dried blood to see what we're doing and she'll feel better when she's been cleaned up a little," the Doctor says.

"I'm cold," River admits. Although it hurts, she reaches for one of the Doctor's hands. He takes it, linking their fingers. With his thumb, he slowly brushes across her skin in soothing circles.

"I know. As soon as we've got you all sorted out, I'll get some extra blankets and make you comfortable," he promises.

By now, her shirt's come off and she can feel his eyes go over her stab wounds. He raises his hand when Rory and Amy arrive and open their mouths to say something, warning them to keep silent. For once, they obey his order.

"I'm so sorry, River. If you weren't my wife, you wouldn't have been put through this. I'll make up for this one way or another, I swear," the Doctor says as he looks her right into the eyes.

"There's nothing to make up for. We don't choose who we fall in love with. We fell for each other, and that means trouble every now and then. But it's worth it. The love we have, is more than worth it," she whispers, wheezing slightly as she speaks.

The Doctor tells Rory to suture the wounds in River's abdomen while he holds her hand. Amy daps at the blood afterwards and when River finally dares to look down, things don't look quite so bad anymore. She'll probably be left with three scars, but they won't be as large as she feared the first time she saw them.

"Do you think you can let your father suture up the wound on your back while you lean against me? That way you won't burst your stitches," the Doctor asks her.

It's only now that she realises he's already noticed the injury to her back. She should've known, of course, but she's not in any state to pay much attention to the world around her at the moment.

"Let's do this," she agrees, letting her mother and the Doctor guide her into the position they want to see her in. When her father sits down behind her, she panics for a second because it reminds her of the way the Elea used to sneak up on her. But she soldiers on.

Just like the first time, the injection with pain relievers stings like hell, but as soon as it begins to work she's glad she's gotten it. She can feel the pulling like before, but at least she's pain free.

"I can't do anything about the bruises and the superficial cuts, I'm afraid. Those will have to heal on their own. I have some more pain relievers to help you feel more comfortable if you'd like," Rory says as he moves in front of her.

"No more pain relievers. They'll just make me drowsy and you've taken most of the pain away already," she smiles at him, even though her voice still isn't as strong as she'd like. She doesn't like sounding so weak, but she feels more like her ordinary self again, and that's what counts.

Rory nods his assent before heading off to acquire the things he needs to make a cast for all the bones she's broken. He also puts her fingers and both of her shoulders back in their sockets and applies some ice to them to make sure the swelling goes down. He's done very quickly.

"Okay, now I have a look at your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. If they're too high, I'll give you something for that. You'll need some fluids and some food, and then you can get some sleep," Rory says.

The thermometer reveals she has a slight fever, but Rory isn't too worried about it. He gives her some medication for it and tells her it's most likely just the stress. Her heart rate and blood pressure aren't entirely normal either. Rory gives her something to lower them slightly.

Then, Rory gives her an IV to administer saline to deal with the dehydration. Her food for the night is a bowl of tomato soup and a sandwich with butter and cheese made by her mother. Rory tells her she needs to eat all of it because she needs the energy. Truth be told, she doesn't care why he thinks she needs it; she's hungry and she would pretty much eat anything right now.

"Promise me you won't ever do something like this again," Amy suddenly blurts out while River is taking another bite of her delicious food.

"Mother, you know I can't. I'm the Doctor's wife," River sternly replies, putting more bread in her mouth as soon as she's done speaking.

River can tell her mother isn't happy with that answer, which is understandable. Amy list her baby and never got to watch her child grow up, she had to wait for almost two years after she'd first met River to learn that River is her daughter and they barely see each other because of the lives they lead.

With just a nod, Amy leaves the room. It's enough to tell River that her mother understands and that the redhead will be okay, even if she didn't get the answer she was hoping for.

"I'd better go see what I can do for her. I'll see you first thing tomorrow, okay, River? And make sure she eats all of that, but slowly, Doctor. Else, she'll overdo her stomach," Rory says before he quickly hops through the door in search of his wife.

River and the Doctor both can't help but laugh at Rory's behaviour. The man really is a bit goofy sometimes, but it shows just how deeply he loves Amy. It's something River recognises in herself, her father's goofiness. And she also shares her mother hard-headed determinedness.

"Why don't you get comfortable, I'll grab the blankets I promised you before," the Doctor says after she swallows the last of her bread and soup.

She sinks down into the bed, somehow managing to get the pillow exactly where she wants it. Because her back will be getting sensitive again soon, she turns onto her side. When the Doctor returns, he tucks the blankets in around her and slips a hand beneath them to take her hand in his.

"When I saw you hanging there, I thought I'd lost you… You looked so pale and you weren't moving… My hearts just stopped…" the Doctor whispers, tucking some of her hair behind her ear with his free hand.

"I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. So stop your worrying, my love, and hold me until I fall asleep," she whispers in turn. At the same time, she moves on the bed a little to make room for the Doctor.

Of course he immediately slides in beside her. And less than ten minutes later, the both of them are fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Wow, this is chapter five alreadyè We're almost at the end, only one more chapter to come after this. I hope you'll enjoy this one as much as the others. Drop me a review to let me know!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and unfortunately I never will, either...**

**Chapter five  
**  
_The storms are raging on the rolling sea  
And on the highway of regret.  
The winds of change are blowing wild and free;  
You ain't seen nothing like me yet._

That morning, River is woken up by her lover pressing a butterfly light kiss to her lips. She hums as she returns the favour, enjoying how the Doctor places his hands against her hips and squeezes gently for a second.

"We need to get up. I promised you and your parents a picnic last week and Amy will have my hide if I don't deliver. I gave her my word, you know," the Doctor says as they break apart.

River slips out of bed and takes of the shirt she's slept in. Tossing it onto the bed behind her, she walks towards the closes to extract a relatively simple dark green skirt and a green shirt. The latter is in a different shade, one that compliments her eyes even more than a darker version would have done. She also pulls out a pair of elegant black sandals. She won't be wearing pumps if there's a chance she'll have to walk.

"Can we still take a quick shower before we leave? I'd love some time alone with you before I have to share you with my mum and dad and behave when they're looking. It's not that I don't love them, but every time we kiss, I can just feel my father's eyes bore into me," River sniggers.

It's the truth, the Last Centurion is not amused with her showing her sexual confidence at all, even if it's just with a kiss. She understands that it's to do with not knowing exactly how old she is and not having seen her grow up. But it's not amusing.

"I think we can afford to let them wait ten minutes longer than they were expecting. But no more than that," the Doctor warns her, giving her a small push in the direction of the bathroom.

River makes sure the water is at the perfect temperature for them while the Doctor grabs his clothes and underwear and puts them on the bed besides hers. She's already beneath the spray of hot water when he comes into the bathroom.

The Doctor grabs her favourite soap and begins to wash her back, rubbing soft and soothing circles across her skin. After he's done with that, he pick up her bottle of shampoo and washes her curls. He even gently rinses all of the bubbles out of her hair for her, which she likes very much.

He then lets his hands trail over her breasts, abdomen and legs. The three small scars on her abdomen made her feel a little insecure until the Doctor kissed each one and told her they only shower her bravery and strength. Her legs are next, and then he wipes away the soap from her skin.

"Come on, my turn. We can't just let you have all the fun," she smiles. With a sure yet gentle touch, she starts washing his shoulders and moves slowly down. She traces intricate patterns across his chest and abdomen and presses a few small kisses to his skin. She knows he loves that, and she enjoys doing it as well.

Just like he's done for her, she washes every bit of his skin with a delicateness no one would expect from her. But also just like he did, she's careful not to start something they won't have time to finish. After all, Amy and Rory wouldn't let them get away with it. She's damn sure they'll be knocking on the door if they don't join them very soon.

When she's done washing his back, she envelops him in a tight hug. His soap ends up on her and she'll smell a little like him when they're done, but that doesn't stop her. She simply keeps holding on as they stand beneath the spray of water, trading a few proper kisses with him before it's time to turn off the shower.

"Are you going to tell us where you're taking us for our picnic before we leave or will you keep it a secret until we get there? My mother wasn't too happy about that, you know," River says as she's drying off.

"You mother will continue to complain then, because it's going to be a secret. She'll be glad I didn't tell her when she sees where we're going," the Doctor assures her as he hangs his towel up to dry.

River grins at how convinced he sounds. The last time Rory surprised Amy, she walked away angry because she had had a totally different idea of how to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Then again, her mother hardly ever gets upset with the Doctor, so he might get away with this.

As always, River towels her hair as dry as possible and combs it. If she lets it dry like this, it's easier to handle later than when she blow-dries it. And her whole look is more natural then, which she prefers. No drama for her when there's no need, there's enough of that in her life as is.

When she steps into the bedroom to get dressed, the Doctor is already finishing up. His bow tie has just been tied properly and he's patting his jacket, apparently to make sure it's perfectly well done.

Her partner gives an appreciative low hum when she's in her skirt and bending over to grab her shirt.

"I told you you'd like my ass when you grew older. Sometimes, you've got to love spoilers," she laughs as she pulls the shirt on and starts to button it. Her only response is an echoing laugh from the love of her life.

Ten minutes later, they step into the hall and make their way to the front of the TARDIS. Amy and Rory are waiting for them already, both dresses in comfortable clothes and obviously very excited.

"Alright, are we all set? Good, hold on then. This will be a bit of a bumpy ride," the Doctor warns them before he starts to pull levers and push buttons.

The TARDIS indeed shivers and shakes, but River's seen her do a hell of a lot more crazy things to worry. Especially because she manages to engage the blue stabilisers while the Doctor isn't looking.

"Come on, come on, let's go and see where we are!" Amy says, bounding up and down almost like a little rabid. Without waiting for the all-clear from the Doctor, she dashes towards the door, opens it and steps out. Rory follows her straight away, his protective side playing up.

The Doctor rolls his eyes at Amy's antics, but he doesn't comment. Instead, he takes River by the hand and leads her outside as well. The butterflies in her stomach are testimony to her nerves and excitement. She's damn sure she's never been here before, and she's very curious.

"Welcome to the beautiful planet Thaleya," the Doctor says when they step onto the grass outside the TARDIS.

The planet is gorgeous. There's beautiful green grass as far as the eye can see, with small red flowers everywhere. There are delicate roses all around them as well, but in a dark blue that makes them look both fragile and strong at the same time. And barely five feet away there is a gorgeous pond with white and pink lilies drifting along the surface.

"I can't believe you kept this piece of paradise from us for so long! I'm so glad you're finally sharing it with us," River says, and Amy nods her agreement.

The Doctor leads his companions to the edge of the water, where he opens the picnic basket that's mysteriously appeared on his arm. He extracts a blanket so they can all sit down comfortably. River and Amy immediately kick off their shoes and put their feet in the water. It's refreshing and enjoyable.

The Doctor takes out their breakfast, helped by Rory. The man prepare plates with fruit, yoghurt and toast, accompanied by freshly made orange juice. It's River's favourite breakfast, something she shares with her mother.

Happily, she leans against the Doctor as they eat. Her parents sit beside each other, so close there's barely any space between them. It seems like they all needed this, a chance to calm down after three months of dealing with injuries and running from the Doctor's enemies. Time for themselves and each other is the perfect way to heal the emotional and physical scars even more.

As they eat, they discover that they won't be plagued by heat even though the sun is very bright already. The temperature doesn't rise any further and being near the water's edge is also helping.

"Tell me, how did you stumble across this place?" Rory asks between two large sips of his orange juice. His glas is almost empty by now.

River feels the Doctor shift so he can look at Rory, but she's not disturbed very much as he's using his hands to make sure she doesn't slip away from him. She continues to nibble her fruit as she enjoys this new experience. If things keep going so well, she might consider having regular dinners or picnics with her parents. It could be good for their relationship and they might grow even more at ease when it comes to her relationship with the Doctor.

"The TARDIS brought me here some two years ago. I still don't know why, as there was no-one or nothing to be seen here except for what we see now. I ended up staying for a few days. This place reminded me of River so much that I vowed to myself that I'd bring her here one day. It's as powerful and gorgeous as she is, with a hint of softness right beneath the surface," he says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

River smiles brightly at the very accurate description of her personality and presses her lips to his hand to convey her gratitude for his acceptance of who she is. From the corner of her eye, she can see her parents holding hands and cuddle even closer.

"Maybe the TARDIS brought you here because she knew you needed to relax. She's clever like that. You said it yourself, she always takes you where you need to go," Amy says as she puts her now empty plate aside.

"Or maybe the TARDIS just knew there'd come a day that I'd be asking a very special someone a very special question and I'd need the right place to do it," the Doctor says. And this time, he carefully slips from behind River.

She wants to turn around to look at the Doctor, but she doesn't get the chance. In less than a second, he's standing right in front of her. She has butterflies in her stomach, probably due to the words special question the Doctor has just uttered.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" she asks, betraying exactly how nervous he's making her. But she doesn't care at the moment, she's very sure they'll understand why she's not quite at ease.

The Doctor kneels down before her now, looking straight into her eyes. All she sees in those bright blue orbs are love and devotion, which makes her calm down a little bit. Her heart starts to beat less rapidly and she can breathe somewhat more easily and slowly again. So she focusses on what the Doctor has to say.

"I'm preparing to ask you a very special question, my love. Is it okay if I do that with your parents here?" he asks, cupping her face in his hands while he waits for her to answer the question.

"Go ahead. I've got less secrets from them now than before and I don't want to change that," she replies.

The Doctor now lets go of her face and takes a small box made of red velvet out of his pocket. He opens it to reveal an elegant, sophisticated ring that isn't too complicated in design. In fact, it's the simplicity of it that steals her heart immediately.

It's a tiny silver band with a small diamond placed inside what looks like a small silver flower. There's miniature leaves along the band. She's always loved nature, as has the Doctor, and he's managed to capture that side of her in this important piece of jewellery. Or better yet, this side of them.

"River Song, I've loved you from the very first time I saw you. And that won't ever change. I know we already got marries once, but it was all very rushed because we were trying to save the whole universe at the same time. I thought you'd like to do things properly. So here we go. My beautiful River, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" the Doctor asks her.

"Of course I will marry you. I'd marry you a thousand times," River immediately responds, her eyes growing moist with tears as she speaks.

The Doctor now slips the ring onto her finger, making their engagement official. She throws her arms around him and kisses him, for once not caring that her father doesn't like the sight of them doing that. Nothing matters anymore but the two of them, and the fact she's going to get the proper wedding she's dreamt of ever since she met the Doctor for the very first time.

"So this is why you took us here and why you were being so secretive these past few weeks! Your outings with Amy on every planet or moon we landed on, your talks to both of my parents and the silences when I came in… You two knew about his plans, didn't you?" River asks her parents.

"Yes, we knew. He told us because he wanted to make things perfect and he needed some help in doing that. He wanted female input on the ring, your father helped choose the food items we had before… Don't be angry," Amy says, letting a slightly pleading note accompany the last sentence.

River lets go of the Doctor and walks over to her parents. Without encouragement, they put their arms around her as soon as she's close enough. She gives them a tighter hug than she's ever done so far, pouring all of her love for them into the gesture.

"Of course I'm not mad, at any of you. He brought my family together to organise one of the most beautiful days in my life. What more could a woman ask for?" River asks, letting her surprise at her mother's idea she might get angry shine through.

The Doctor joins in the group hug, placing an arm around her and his other around Amy. And for once, he's not asking the Last Centurion for permission to hug his wife. Given the enthusiasm of all those involved, River thinks he already knew he'd be given permission anyway, and the Doctor never wastes time.

River can't help the tears of happiness that escape from her eyes, and she doesn't even bother with wiping them away. The small droplet suddenly falling onto her shoulder tells her the Doctor is shedding a few happy tears of his own.

After a few minutes, River finally manages to get her emotions back under control. The Doctor seems to have succeeded in stopping the tears as well, and her parents are both smiling in such a goofy way that there's no doubt in her mind they probably think this is all very sweet. If her mother would ever say such a thing, because Amy is a pretty tough cookie, as they all know.

"I hope you two will be as involved in the organisation of the wedding day itself as you've been in organising today. It would really mean a lot to me to have my mum and dad to turn to if I have any questions," River tells them as soon as she's sure her voice is steady enough to speak again.

"River's right, you two are supposed to be involved. And just like her, I'd love that very much. I want the three of you to become the close-knit family you should've been from the start and I'm honoured you're including me in that number now as well," the Doctor says, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Amy squeals and throws her arms around the Doctor, causing River and her father to snigger as the bestow a one armed yet very much meant hug on each other. The redhead is a very powerful personality and this is just one of the many way she shows it. Rory and River are a little more held back, but they mean every single word they say.

"Ever since the moment I had you, River, I wanted to see you grow up. I wanted to see you do silly things and have your first boyfriend. But do you know what I wanted most of all? To see you get marry to the man of your dreams. And you're giving me that chance. Of course we'll be involved, and you can bet your ass I'll be there to take you shopping for a dress!" Amy says when she turns her attention to her daughter.

There was a moment that Amy would have called River Melody, but since the moment the Melody killed the Doctor she hasn't done that anymore. To River, that's a very good thing, because she truly is River Song. Melody Pond is like another part of her, the part that died when she killed the Doctor. To hear her mother say her name, tells her that Amy knows and accepts this.

"I'm sure we'll manage to find the perfect gown. And there's no doubt in my mind that the whole day will be perfect," River says, now giving her mother a hug like she gave her father. This one is a little stronger, as Amy doesn't treat her like she's breakable.

When River's in bed that evening, her back pressed to the Doctor's chest, sleep comes more easily than it's ever done. She can feel her husband's heart beating against her back, she's getting a proper wedding and she's making up for lost time with her parents. It's like her dreams have finally come true.

And with that thought in her head, she fall into a deep sleep that lasts until the morning.


End file.
